It started when a mother called police saying her 8-year-old daughter had run away from home.
“So, can you tell me a little more of what happened cuz I'm just getting here?” “Um at like 8:00 or it was actually about 8:15 this morning she wasn't in her room and that's when I heard her by the back door. And then I was like, "Eliana." And then I walked over to see her and then after I was walking over there she was opening the back door so her and she has like a processing disorder about this size.” “Okay.”
“She's always had a thing with like running away or like hoarding things.”
“Where does she usually go to?” “That's why we're baffled right now.”
The mother claimed her daughter ran from home because of a disorder suggesting that this was normal, but while the daughter had run away multiple times before the officers would discover that she had a shocking reason for it.
“You okay, sweetheart? What grade are you in, honey?” “Third grade.” “Third grade? Okay.”
“Such a pretty girl. You are. Why were you hiding from us?”
“Because I just always have to go back home and I don't like it.” “You don't like it at home?” “You don't like it at home? Okay. Okay, well we're.”
“I want to be with Glenn.”
“Where does your grandparents live?” “My grandma lives in Connecticut and whenever.” “Here's some water, baby. Drink drink a little bit of water, okay?” “When I say it's the water they just say do it or or you don't get your meals and then they lock me in my room at night and and they lock the door.”
“Okay.” “You don't like it over there where you live? Why not?” “Mommy's always being bossy and telling me to brush my teeth again and again and they make me go to.” “water and the doors always locked and closed and I'm in the shower with my clothes on.”
“They put you in the shower with your clothes on?” “Yes.” “Oh no, why?” “I don't know why.”
The child gave a very different explanation for running away, telling officers she did not want to return home and describing being denied meals and locked in her room. Officers treated the allegations seriously and continued the welfare check.
“No, but yeah, they they already found her.” “No, yeah, where?” “They did down there 36th Street.” “Okay.”
“Not too far from here, down the street.” “Okay.” “But this is automatically like a DCF call. So under our policy, is it okay if I look through the house real quick?” “Okay, what are you looking for?”
“No, we just need to look and make sure everything's okay with the other kids.” “Okay, well, that's what I'm saying, like do you need to look to see if they have like a bed? You need to look to see if they have food there.” “Yeah.” “No, we have food at home.
That's that's that's a that's a symptom of her disorder. She will lie and say we have not fed her. She will say she's hungry.
She will say whatever, like she we have food. Like number one number one, we're vegan and we're vegan because she's allergic to dairy.”
“We've got DCF coming out, that's our protocol with everything going on. If you want to walk back with the officer.” “Oh, I would much rather be where I can see her.” “Okay, you can stay here right now.” “Your husband is a chef, right?”
“Yeah, exactly. We have food. He's a professional chef.”
The mother continued to deny the allegation and it wasn't known that she had gotten help for her daughter's alleged disorder, making her story seem like a very convenient attempt to minimize her daughter's cry for help.
“Hey, Eliana, are you okay? Where are your shoes? You weren't wearing shoes? Would you like a hug? No, thank you.
What's been going on? Do you want to talk to Daddy? Daddy's been on the phone. We've been very worried about you. Eliana, we need to make sure you're safe.
Mommy has been very, very worried about you. Can you talk to Mommy and explain what's been going on? Baby, you've been missing. It's been more than 3 hours since you ran out. You ran out without having breakfast or even saying good morning to Mommy.
You just went to the bathroom and went out the back door. Daddy, she can hear you and everybody else can hear you, too.” “Okay. Listen, Eliana. It is time to I don't know what you've told the police, but it is time to tell the truth, okay?
It is time to tell the truth because every time that you've told talked to the police before, you said something other than the truth.
And I don't know what you said so far, but it is time to tell the truth if you haven't already, okay?” “Okay, tell her that you're trying to make sure that you're safe because Daddy's worried.”
The officers separated the child from her mother so they could continue the welfare inquiry without pressure from the family.
“Can we talk to you for a second over here? Right over here. We're going to just talk to you.” “I don't know what's going on. They're saying I can't talk to her.”
“Okay, you're not in any trouble, honey. You're not in any trouble.” “I know what will happen if you leave the house.”
“What will happen?” “Mom's just going to lock me in.” “She's going to lock you in your room?” “Yes.”
“Why would she lock you in your room?” “Cuz cuz she doesn't want me to tell people that I'm hungry.” “Okay.” “Listen, you're you're going to be placed under arrest, okay? For child neglect.”
“What? No. No. My baby.” “You're okay, they're okay.”
“My baby.” “No.”
“My baby.” “Hold on a second, ma'am, okay? The kids.” “My baby.” “The kids are okay.”
“My baby.” “Don't scream. Don't scream. That's going to make it worse for them, okay? Don't scream.”
“No.” “You don't want to upset them.”